Dreams
by pisces317
Summary: <html><head></head>What happens when House and Wilson adopt a "troubled" teen? H/W Established, Wilson whump ahead - I promise.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Dreams  
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**Author: mmorgan317 (LJ) or pisces317 (FF)  
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**Rating: PG-13, will rate individual chapter if strong content applies  
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**Summary: What happens when House and Wilson adopt a "troubled" teen?  
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**Spoilers: None that I can think of, will warn if something pops up  
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**Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.  
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**Author's Notes: ~Personal Warning~ I had a dream last night that has prompted me to write this story. The dream made me long for something I've longed for for over 16 years – fatherly love. **

**AN2: This story will have a fairly depressed air to it but there will be chapters of happiness for the new family.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:<strong>

House grumpily woke to the sound of Wilson's alarm blaring loudly. He wasn't happy to have been dragged out of his pleasant dream but waking up to being snuggled with Wilson, the man's scent wafting over him and surrounding him like a blanket, made up for it easily.

The alarm continued its sleep shattering blare and still Wilson slept on so House opted for rolling onto Wilson and turning it off himself. The oncologist groaned with House's actions and for a second House felt guilt clench his stomach; he'd forgotten that Wilson had hurt his back a few days ago and that while he was feeling better, it wasn't 100% yet.

Movement in the kitchen alerted House that Maria was awake and making a pot of coffee. He let loose a small smirk with the thought of their adopted daughter but soon felt the smirk grow into an alarmingly wide grin, spreading warmth into his blue eyes.

They'd been officially a family for just under a year and were still getting used to each other but while Maria often pretended that things were fine and she was happy, House could tell that she wasn't. He recognized the self destructive behavior that he himself often indulged in, though hers was different from his.

He smiled again when he recognized that though she wasn't biologically theirs, she had little quirks of her own that resembled both of them. Her ability to placate others and easily lie to them about her own true feelings was Wilson to the T while her true unhappiness and determination to torture herself for nothing was ALL House.

Beside him, Wilson rolled over onto his back, a grimace crossing his face before quickly leaving it. Groggy brown eyes opened, staring at him without focus. The pupils dilated and Wilson smiled a loopy smile. "Hey," he greeted. He'd learned long ago not to say 'Good Morning' to House ever because in the diagnostician's opinion – it NEVER was a good morning.

"Morning sleeping beauty," House greeted in return with a smile.

Wilson inhaled deeply, unable to stop the smile that came upon his face, "Maria made coffee again?"

"Yep!" House turned over to his right, used his well toned arms to leverage himself to a sitting position and popped a couple Ibuprofen to ease the searing pain in his damaged thigh.

"She does know that she doesn't have to do that right?" Wilson asked, easing his own aching body off the bed. He grimaced as pain shot through his lower back but made no move to ease it. He didn't want House's focus on him today.

"Yeah, I think the thousand times you have told her may have sunk in." House sniped.

"Not necessarily, she is as stubborn as you are."

House turned towards his lover and put on a hurt expression, "I listen to you, I just don't do what you say."

Wilson was about to make a salacious comment but Maria called out, "Guys, it's time to get up! You can't be late for work, Cuddy will kill you both!"

With a groan, Wilson turned to look at the clock and nearly fell off the bed in shock when he realized that they only had half an hour to get dressed and to work. He stood up, zooming around the room like a frantic hummingbird, "You changed my alarm again?" He called out exasperatedly while trying to quickly ease his aching body into his clothes.

House merely laughed, "You've known me how long?"

"House!" Wilson lectured loudly. He turned around to continue only to hiss when pain radiated through his back and down his legs. Instinctively, he put a hand on his lower back to try to massage the pain away.

House found himself unable to stop the wince that crossed his face. He didn't like to see Wilson in pain and while he wouldn't normally show anyone at work his true feelings, he had no problems showing his family.

He limped over to his friend and pulled him into a hug, his strong hands taking over the duties of massaging. He allowed his hands and body to relay the message he couldn't bring himself to say out lout: _I'm sorry. Don't Worry. And I love you! _

"Not that I don't enjoy seeing you two be loving towards each other but you really don't have time for it right now." Maria's soft voice announced.

The men turned to find her leaning in the doorway with two to-go mugs of coffee in one hand, House's backpack slung over her shoulder, two coats resting on top of the strap and Wilson's brief case in her available hand.

"Those months of waitressing sure helped make you able to multitask." House commented upon seeing her.

Maria gave a smirk that was both sultry and beguiling, "I've always been able to multitask, you just wouldn't know about it."

Wilson choked on his first sip of coffee and House returned the smirk. Yes, he knew that she was popular with men and it didn't surprise him but Wilson chose to remain ignorant to the idea.

"And on that note, we have to go." Wilson commented with a smile. Despite House's thoughts that he was ignorant to the men that floated through Maria's life, he wasn't. He understood that she would have many boyfriends.

Maria had a way about her that drew most guys, young or old, to her. She could keep up with House even when he was at his snarkiest but she could be compassionate when she could tell that Wilson needed it as well.

Standing at just over 5'3" and weighing in at 135, she was petite but there was a hidden strength that many other than House and Wilson didn't see. Her long, wavy chestnut hair accented her round face and porcelain skin. The honey brown eyes poked out from under long, thick eyelashes, easily drawing anyone in who looked long enough.

She had an adaptive personality which easily allowed her to get along with everyone yet she held them all at arms length, not letting them get too close.

It made him sad to realize just how lonely she was but knew it would take time for her to trust him enough to let him in.

Sensing his intentions, Maria interrupted him with a, "Go! I'll meet you at the hospital after school. I'm assuming you both will be working late?"

Wilson remembered his schedule for the day and almost felt immediately drained, "Probably," he admitted with a blush. He felt guilty because he and House couldn't offer her a traditional family home but then again, if she'd wanted traditional she probably wouldn't have opted to have two men be her parents.

"K, I'll pick up some dinner on the way. Pizza sound good?"

"Sounds perfect!" House called out. He'd already begun making his way to the door.

Maria smiled a warm, welcoming smile then leaned in and gave Wilson a gentle hug and a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you later. Try not to wear yourself out chasing after him."

A warmth Wilson hadn't felt for a long time spread through him, heating his cheeks. Though she was outwardly saying to not let House off his leash, he'd heard the warning underneath them: _Be careful_. "Thanks."

Walking stiffly to the door, Wilson met up with House and left. Before getting into the car, he looked back into the apartment window and felt himself looking forward to the evening when he could share a meal with his family.

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><p>Maria watched with fond concern as her adoptive parents slowly made their way to the car. She worried about both of them equally but would only allow it to come through with Wilson. House hated concern. He thought it a step above pity and pity was something he would NOT accept.<p>

As they drove away, the fond expression in her eyes turned to sadness. Last night she'd dreamt about her father before he'd died. She felt his love cocoon her, protect her, so much so that when she'd awoken, she immediately missed the warmth. She blushed when she'd remembered the tears she had allowed to stream down her cheeks as she lay in bed, quietly crying so as not to wake the men.

When she was 10, her father had come down with a mysterious illness that had had five doctors stumped. By the time he'd been referred to House, the disease had been too far advanced. He'd stayed alive long enough for House to figure out what it was – the puzzle being the main thing that kept him going.

Her mother had fallen ill shortly after her father had died. After two consults and several blood tests she'd been referred to Wilson. She knew the news was bad from the look on his face alone. Her time spent around House during her father's illness (and therefore Wilson as well) had allowed her to learn the oncologist's facial expressions better than most.

Wilson informed them that her mother was in the later stages of ovarian cancer. It had metastasized to her lungs sometime during her months of refusing to get checked out and now there wasn't anything he could do but make her comfortable.

It had made her sad to hear but Maria knew she would not mourn her mother as much as she did her father. She and her mother had never been close and so they didn't share the same connection as she and her father had.

She'd remained strong for her mother in her final days in the hospital. She welcomed visits from Wilson and House's team. She'd been pleasantly surprised when House himself had started visiting with her; talking to her, trading barbs and snarky comments and playing various mind games that she returned in kind.

When the two men had come to her the night her mother had died and suggested that she stay with them she had felt honored and shy. She could tell that Wilson thought they should have waited longer but House had talked him into saying something now.

Staying for the night turned into staying until after the funeral. When a social worker had come up to her to talk about finding her a foster home, Maria about had a panic attack. The only thing that had stopped her was House's strong hand on her shoulder, grounding her, assuring her.

House immediately told the social worker that he and Wilson were her foster parents and already had paperwork started to become her adoptive parents. She kept her mask of calm on her face but inside she was shocked beyond belief.

A part of her wanted so dearly to believe him but she also knew that House had no problem with lying to public officials when it suited him. When Wilson confirmed House's statement and actually pulled out the forms from his jacket pocket, Maria felt herself go weak in the knees and her breathing increase tenfold.

She waited until the social worker left then all but collapsed onto the stone bench by a random grave. The two men apologized for not telling her sooner and for not discussing it with her before announcing it so publicly.

The surprise kept coming when House looked truly concerned about her and apologetic as well.

After slowing her breathing down to a more manageable level she quickly and vehemently assured her guardians that she couldn't be happier with their decision, though a bit surprised.

A short heart to heart talk later, they'd all agreed on some ground rules (for everyone). The first was no hookers to which Wilson nor Maria had trouble abiding by. The second was no lies. Secrets were alright and understandable but if any of them were asked a direct question, they weren't allowed to lie. The third and final was that she did NOT have to call them father, dad, papa or anything which she was very grateful for. She was perfectly comfortable referring to them as House and Wilson and while it was a bit unconventional, it worked for them.

Her phone chirped, breaking her out of her painful memories. She smiled at the reminder sent by House to get her butt moving or else she'd be late for school. The man never failed to surprise her with just how much he understood her.

She responded quickly thanking him for the reminder and reminding him to take it easy on Wilson today or else he'd have her to deal with. Tossing her phone onto her bed, Maria hopped into the shower to get to school on time for her morning pre-calculus class.

Like Wilson, she looked forward to after school when she could be around the two people who made her most comfortable.

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><p><strong>All mistakes are mine, I apologize for not beta-ing. I was too impatient to get this thing posted. Please review and let me know what you think!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Warning for sensitive topic included. It's not a happy chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

Maria walked confidently into PPTH, smiling easily at those whom she passed. In her left hand she carried two pizza boxes while her right hung loosely at her side, her long sleeve easily covering the blood stained bandage that lay harmlessly beneath.

She walked into the vacant conference room, a frown crossing her face. Setting the pizza down on the glass table, she exited the conference room and made her way to Wilson's office.

Just as she turned the corner Wilson walked out of his office with his coat and briefcase in hand, locking the door behind him. "Hey!" He greeted cheerfully upon seeing her.

"Hey, where's House?" She asked as she waited for Wilson to catch up with her. He was walking more stiffly and slowly than he had been this morning.

"Uh, he's not in the conference room?" She threw him a look of '_Would I be asking you if he was?' _causing him to laugh, "He must be with his patient, forcing the truth out of them once again."

"Ah," Maria answered with a smirk, "well, the pizza is on the table, paper plates are on top of the boxes. Did you want something to drink?"

"I'll just grab a bottle of water from the fridge." Wilson replied, settling himself down on a chair.

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow but made no comment, "Alright, well I'm going to go grab a soda." She walked out without waiting for a reply from Wilson.

It hadn't been a direct lie, she was after all going to go grab a soda but she was going to make a pit stop first.

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><p>After ten minutes of sitting alone in the conference room, Wilson began to grow uneasy. It did not take this long to get a soda, did it? He recognized the lie in Maria's eyes but couldn't place what it was about.<p>

Something registered in his mind. Though the weather was chilly, it wasn't chilly enough for a long sleeved shirt. So why was she wearing one?

His phone went off, making him groan. Hesitantly he checked it, surprise coloring his face as Chase's number appeared on the display with a text message below – _**Exam room 2. 911**_

Wilson's heart skipped a beat at the 911 at the end. Was it House or Maria? Either way, the pizza could wait.

Moving faster than his aching back liked, he made it to the clinic in near record time. The nurses offered him a curt nod in greeting but motioned their heads to the correct room – they knew what he was there for.

Without hesitation, Wilson opened the door, stepped into the room and shut it. He stood frozen in place with shock when he took in the sight before him.

Maria sat on an exam table, her arm stretched out on a covered table with a needle, thread, antiseptic, gauze and rubber gloves next to it. Blood trickled down, staining the porcelain skin red.

She jumped at his entrance and tried to cover her arm but a familiar, tanned hand held the arm where it was. Honey brown eyes glared accusingly at Chase but turned pleadingly to Wilson.

"What happened?" He asked breathlessly, the sight of Maria's blood making him queasy.

"Come closer," was all Chase would say.

Scared of what he would find, Wilson slowly made his way next to Maria. He forced himself to ignore the red liquid trickling down and focused disbelieving eyes on the scratches cruelly carved into the skin.

The words **I AM NOTHING **jumped out at him, threatening to knock him over with their meaning. "Why did you do this?" He asked bewildered.

Shame, pain, anger and abandonment all swelled through Maria, driving her answer, "Why do you care?" She snapped defensively.

Wilson jumped back at the severity in the young woman's tone. He was used to tongue lashings from House but from Maria, it hurt more than he wanted to admit. Making sure to keep his face neutral he answered, "I am your friend. I care about what happens to you."

"You care because the state tells you you have to." She snapped again.

The neutrality in his eyes faded quickly, replaced by pain. Stunned into silence, he closed his eyes and turned around to leave.

"Wilson," Maria said softly, stopping him dead, "I'm sorry for what I said." She apologized. She knew she had hurt him with her accusations and she didn't want him leaving the room thinking she hated him. She cared more about both he and House than she did anyone and the last thing she wanted to do was to cause them pain. "I didn't want you or House finding out about this." She confessed and accused.

"Maria, you can't seriously expect to come in here needing stitches and not have Wilson or House alerted." Chase lectured defensively.

"House? You told House too?" Maria asked despairingly.

"Yes."

She let loose a huff of annoyance but then smiled sardonically, "At least he's too busy to come, not that he would anyways."

"Who wouldn't come?" House's gruff voice chimed in from the doorway. His face spoke of indifference and cheerfulness but his ice blue eyes told them all how he felt: angry and sad.

Maria winced at the severity of both emotions in the older man's eyes, knowing they were aimed at her. She didn't know how long he'd been in the doorway but if she had a guess it was long enough to hear the lashing she'd given Wilson.

Despite what others though, Maria knew House was protective of Wilson. The diagnostician hated seeing his friend in pain and tended to take revenge if said pain was caused by someone else.

Chase did his best to ignore the uncomfortable silence and finished sewing. He placed a gauze pad over the stitches then wrapped an adhesive bandage around it. "You're done."

"Thanks Chase, there's pizza in the conference room if you want some." Wilson offered when it seemed that no one else was planning on saying anything.

The family waited for Chase to leave before they spoke. "We should go eat before it's gone," Maria suggested trying to sound light.

"Okay," House replied before Wilson had a chance to, "but be prepared for an interrogation when we get home."

Maria bowed her head, her sad eyes hidden beneath long lashes. She walked up to Wilson, giving him a tight hug. "I really am sorry," she said as a tear trickled down, making the side of Wilson's face wet. She left before the oncologist had a chance to answer.

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><p>House and Wilson walked into the diagnostic's conference room ten minutes later. Chase, Foreman, Taub, Thirteen and Maria had already begun to dig in to the food and were chatting amicably about nothing in particular.<p>

"How's our patient?" House asked loudly as he entered.

"Stable, it looks like the new meds are working." Taub answered hopefully before shoving a bite of pepperoni into his mouth.

"Oh good, I'd hate to think she would die while we're busy eating." Wilson snarked, shocking them all with the crispness of it. He placed two pieces of pizza on his plate and sat down opposite Maria.

House watched his friend with saddened eyes. He knew that Maria's words had bothered Wilson far worse than the deep seated thorn of pain that had been embedded in his soul.

He understood Wilson enough to know the oncologist felt a little betrayed by the words. His good intentions born out of caring and love had been thrown back in his face by the same person he'd been trying to help. He knew the incident earlier had reminded Wilson too closely of his brother, Daniel.

House sat himself on Wilson's left, throwing a look at Maria that bordered on angry and sympathetic. After all, he too had hurt Wilson many times over the years. Often when Wilson was just trying to help and be a good friend.

Maria sat across from her friends, barely able to meet their eyes. She kept her focus on the plate of food which had lain untouched since she'd placed it there. She wasn't hungry anymore. The pain and desolation in Wilson's eyes had driven most of her non-existent appetite away while the anger and sympathy in House's eyes made bile rise in her throat.

She wanted nothing more than to take her previous accusations back but she didn't know how. "You're not eating?" She asked Wilson hesitantly.

Sad, chocolate brown eyes looked up, burrowing deep into her soul. "I'm not hungry."

House saw Maria's mouth open and knew she was about to make another apology, "Well, I hate to break up this cheery (his sarcasm dripped heavily off the word) gathering but I think it's time for us to go home. It's been a long day for us old men."

The team gave each other questioning glances but made no comment on the strangeness with which the three were acting. "Well, thanks for the pizza!" Chase chirped cheerily.

"You're welcome," Wilson answered with a fake smile.

Both men waited at the door for Maria to join them, each standing protectively on one side, flanking her as they walked out to their cars.

By silent agreement, Maria led in her silver Pontiac sunfire and drove slowly enough for the two men to follow her home. All three were wary of the conversation to come but it was necessary to have.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm so glad that you like it so far. Though I didn't go nearly as deeply as Maria did in the story, I did carve I AM NOTHING into my arm. **

**This next chapter was HARD for me to write as it explains how I feel which is something I try not to acknowledge. I hope you still like the story after this chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong>

House, Maria and Wilson sat uncomfortably in the living room. House and Wilson sat on the soft, leather couch while Maria sat on the other side of the room on the hard piano bench, blocking the TV.

"Why did you do it?" House asked bluntly, never having believed in pussy-footing around.

Maria's head snapped up, tears welling in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to lie and placate her friends but they had agreed that when asked a direct question, no lies. "I honestly don't know where to begin."

"Try," Wilson gently urged. If he could, he would be holding on to Maria's hand, hoping to give her strength that she so obviously needed to get through the tail but Maria had distanced herself as far away from the couch as she could and chose to sit on the hard piano bench.

A single tear fell down Maria's cheek at Wilson's soft nudge. "First, I-I wanted to say again that I am so sorry for what I said in the exam room," she began, shocking Wilson with the intensity in her voice and the pleading in her eyes, "I know that you care about me, more than my own mother even. It's just when you asked, I felt attacked and went on the defensive. I was horrified that you'd found out and wanted to get you out of the room as quickly as I could. I never wanted you to know, either of you."

"Why not?" Wilson asked.

"Because there is nothing you could do. I'm the one who's screwed up. I'm the one who wasn't worth sticking around for. I'm the one who should have been drowned at birth. Me! No one else should have to suffer through living with me, being around me or God forbid even trying to get close to me.

But you have and I don't understand it? I mean, what are you waiting for? How long will it take you to see just how worthless of a human being I actually am? My father saw it! In the end he was more concerned with solving the riddle of his illness than he was about leaving his young daughter fatherless.

If I wasn't worth anything to him than how on earth could I possibly be anything to you?"

Tears flowed freely from her pained brown eyes but she took a pause to control her breathing, open her throat and stem the flow.

"So, I fashioned out a motto: **I AM NOTHING**. It was easier than doing, **Kill Me Now, Muerte Me, or Soy Nada **otherwise I probably would have done one of the two former.

A few months ago something snapped and I wanted to dig into my veins to see how far I could go," she explained, holding out her bandaged right up facing up for the men to see a dark, ugly, ragged scratch which traced from the beginning of her wrist down to the middle of it, "I grabbed a wire hanger and began to dig. I enjoyed the pain it brought because physical pain is SO much easier to deal with than emotional. I can handle that but this feeling of soullessness, I can't do anymore.

I wanted to keep going until the blood in my veins flowed freely, like a water fountain of blood and I was the hose but I wasn't strong enough. God, I wish I was! Most days I wake up and wish I were dead rather than alive. I don't deserve this life, I shouldn't have been born. God made a mistake when he made me!"

When she stopped, Maria was crying freely. Her hands covering her face in an effort to hide herself from everything and hide her shame at crying in front of her two guardians. She wanted nothing more than to run away and never come back but she had no where to run to and as much as she hated to admit it, she needed these two men.

Sometimes it felt like she needed their love and concern more than she needed air and she hated it because she knew they didn't need her around. Hell, she was fairly certain that they didn't want her around.

Maria felt someone sit beside her and pull her in, allowing her to cry on their shoulder. She inhaled a quick breath and discovered, surprisingly that it had been House. A soft scuffle of feet announced a second person had joined them on the short bench and another set of arms wrapped themselves protectively around her.

The two men sat holding Maria while she cried, tears in their own eyes spilling down freely and joining her tears in a pool at their feet. No one knew what to say so they said nothing, allowing the comforting silence to soothe their charge.

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><p>Thirty minutes later Maria's crying ended and her breathing evened out. Conscious thought returned to her quickly, "We should probably move. This can't be good for your leg." She announced, looking up at House and scaring the two men in the process.<p>

"It's fine." House answered gruffly.

"She's right House, we should get off the bench." Wilson supported softly. He straightened up, gasping in surprised when his back screamed in pain at the movement.

"That's it," Maria responded determinedly, "you two go sit on the couch and rest. I'll bring a couple of heating pads and Ibuprofen then I'll start dinner cuz I don't know about you guys but I'm starving."

"Yeah, that happens when you don't eat more than a bird's meal once a day for weeks." House called out from the living room as Maria walked speedily into the guys' bedroom where the supplies were stored.

"I eat," Maria assured, handing the items to her friends.

House gave her a scoffing look, "Maria,"

Wilson perked slightly up at the conversation. He'd noticed that Maria had been getting thinner and thinner but he hadn't realized that she wasn't eating. Pain radiated throughout his back, making him grimace and place the pleasantly warm heating pad against the aggravated muscles.

"I eat enough," Maria admitted, heading towards the kitchen.

Thankfully since they had adopted Maria, the fridge was always stocked as was the pantry.

Quickly, she threw together a pan of spaghetti flavored with a hint of green chile and lots of garlic.

The group ate in silence with nervous glances being shot towards each other. Maria desperately wanted to ask if things were okay between them all but she didn't know if she could deal with the over abundance of sap that would undoubtedly pour out from Wilson.

Even more than she wanted to know if things between all of them were okay, she wanted to know if Wilson was okay. No matter how many times she had apologized to him, he hadn't responded and it was killing her.

When the meal was finished, Wilson stood up and cleared away the dinner plates. He couldn't hide the grimace that crossed his face when he bent down to grab the rest of the dirty dishes.

"Wilson, you should go lay down. You look exhausted and your back is hurting." Maria suggested, placing a soft hand on his arm.

Wilson smiled, "I'm fine."

She looked imploringly at House who minutely nodded then wrapped his body around Wilson's as the oncologist rinsed off the dishes. "Maria's right," he cooed, "you need to rest. You can barely move without grimacing."

Gently but firmly, House led Wilson to the bedroom where he made sure his friend was comfortable, gave a soft kiss then left.

He limped into the living room to find Maria in the kitchen cleaning the dishes the hard way – by hand. Clearly she still had some residual energy that she needed to expel. "What's bugging you?" House asked, offering a smirk when curious brown eyes met his.

Maria let out a heavy sigh, "Is Wilson alright?"

"He's fine." House answered simply earning quite the spectacular glare of her own from Maria. "Your words hit a sensitive chord earlier." Pleading honey orbs brightened while busy hands stayed busy. "You finished?"

Maria glanced down at the dishes which lay clean in the rinsing water. Quickly she placed the dishes in the strainer, dried her hands then stepped around the counter. "Yes."

"Come on," House invited with the tip of his head. After they sat down, House began telling her the story of Daniel and James Wilson.

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><p>Maria sat on the couch, appalled at the resemblance of her actions and that of Daniel Wilson. God what had she done?<p>

"Hey," House snapped a little more harshly than he meant, "stop. He knows that you didn't mean things the way they sounded. He knows that your words were spoken out of anger and the many apologies since have assured him that you never meant to hurt him. Like I said, you just struck a tender spot with your arrow."

"I-I think I'm going to go to bed." She announced stuttering slightly with emotion.

House nodded his acknowledgement and allowed her to scurry away. He understood that it was a lot to take in. He, himself had had the experience of having to digest the realization of just how deeply he'd hurt his friend. He also understood that she wanted to hide from the events of earlier.

He waited until her door closed softly then quietly made his way into the bedroom to Wilson.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

House walked into the bedroom to find Wilson awake and waiting for him. Though he was covered, House could tell through the outline of the blankets that he was lying in bed with a pillow below his knees to help keep pressure off his painful lower back.

"How's she doing?" He asked.

"Horrified, disgusted and embarrassed." House answered truthfully, crawling in bed and cuddling close. He was careful not to move Wilson too much as he wrapped his long arms and legs possessively around his friend.

"What? Why?" Wilson asked alarmed. He was really worried about Maria and he didn't want her going to bed feeling like that. House's silence in reply was all he needed to hear. "You told her didn't you? I thought we weren't going to say anything."

"No, you agreed." House reminded Wilson sharply. He never understood Wilson's need to hide his brother like a dirty little secret. Especially not from someone who was a part of the family.

"House-" Wilson warned and grumbled at the same time.

"Wilson, it's done. Go to sleep." House interrupted, effectively cutting off Wilson's oncoming lecture.

"Fine," the oncologist replied and House could hear the pout in his voice, "but next time you want to spill a secret, talk to me first."

"Yeah, because we have so many secrets to spill," House mumbled before falling asleep.

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><p>The next morning Wilson woke up at his normal time even though it was a Saturday and none of them had a place to be. He padded barefoot into the kitchen to make coffee. Though House wasn't a morning person, more often than not Maria was.<p>

He poured a cup of Folgers finest then turned around to go grab the paper. He jumped, tweaking his ginger back, when he found Maria standing at the counter, hesitance and shame rolling off her like water pouring out of a pitcher. "Good morning," he greeted brightly, trying to hide the grimace that crossed his face as pain shot hot and deep throughout his lower back.

Maria frowned, "Your back is still bothering you?"

Wilson almost rolled his eyes. If there was someone that he couldn't hide his pain from other than House, it was her. She was incredibly observant and oddly protective of those whom she cared about though she hid it well. "It's fine," he soothed while she made her way over to him, "I just moved too quickly."

Ignoring his placating words, Maria reached out a shaking hand and began to gently massage the stiff muscles. Most people probably would have found it weird that she was doing this but since neither of them were related she didn't. She saw both men as good friends and she didn't like to see her friends in pain.

The muscles began to spasm beneath her fingers and she applied more pressure to soothe them. Wilson let out a small hiss of pain causing her heart to clench briefly. "Sorry," she apologized, still not withdrawing her hand.

Only when she felt the muscles relax did she take her hand away. She walked over to grab a cup of coffee, hoping to hide the blush that had reached her cheeks. Normally she wasn't comfortable touching people but her desire to ease Wilson's pain drove that insecurity away.

"Thanks," Wilson said, grabbing his previously abandoned cup of coffee and sitting down at the counter.

Maria nodded, "I hope it helped."

"What helped?" House's voice asked, causing both Maria and Wilson to jump.

"Massage," Maria answered, pulling up a chair at the counter as well. "Wilson's back was still hurting and I thought it might help."

"You never offer to massage my leg," House mock-whined, limping his way over to the coffee pot.

"That's because I'm pretty sure you'd bite my head of for trying," Maria returned with a Cuddy-esque tone in her voice.

Wilson took a sip of coffee to hide his smirk. Other than him or Cuddy, Maria was the only one who could parry with House on even ground.

"Well Wilson's the only one allowed to touch these legs." House replied, leaning against the counter.

"Thanks for the image," Maria retorted with a blush.

"No problem!" House answered with a sigh. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Uh, nothing that I know of. Why?" She answered hesitantly. House never asks about the agenda unless he has one of his own.

"Family day out!" He responded, walking out of the kitchen.

"Where to?" Maria called back skeptically.

House turned around, eyeing her diagnostically. Realizing she wasn't going to let him surprise her, he limped toward her, "Monster Trucks."

"Don't they usually have those at night?"

"Ah but that's the end of our evening. The beginning will be a surprise."

"House," Maria said in a Wilsian way, "I'm not sure Wilson's back is up to much stress or sitting in hard stadium chairs."

"He'll be fine. You fixed him didn't you?" House replied waving a hand to the silent Wilson.

"No I didn't fix him." She replied condescendingly.

"'Him' is right here," Wilson interjected, becoming a little annoyed that they were talking about him like he wasn't there, "why don't you ask me?"

"Like you'd tell us the truth," both House and Maria replied in sync.

All three stared at each other, glares on their faces but humor in their eyes. They all burst out laughing at the whole situation.

"Seriously though," Maria began, bringing the conversation back to topic, "I'm not sure hard seats and," she paused to think of what House could possibly have planned, "sitting at the race track would be good for Wilson's back."

House put on a hurt face, "Spoil my fun why don't you?"

Maria glared at him and crossed her arms. She wasn't about to back down. Wilson may not care about his health but she sure as hell did and she wasn't about to let House torture him for his own amusement.

House walked up to her, noticing the serious look, and whispered in her ear, "Trust me. It won't hurt him."

She nodded, understanding that she'd offended him by suggesting that he didn't care about Wilson's pain.

"Good, get dressed. We don't have all day!" House called making his way speedily to his and Wilson's bedroom.

Maria and Wilson threw each other skeptical glances but did as they were bid, all the while wondering just WHAT House had planned.

* * *

><p>Maria and Wilson followed behind House, stunned and disbelieving looks on their faces.<p>

As it turned out, House's idea of big plans was a spa day complete with professional massages. While House had been known to get the occasional massage, he usually didn't go so over the top. He usually settled for a hooker.

"Welcome to Mara's, how can I help you?" The attendant at the desk greeted with a smile.

"Greg House, I have an appointment for three." House replied, putting on a fake smile.

The attendant looked down at her appointment book then looked up with a glimmer. "Follow me."

The group followed the well dressed worker to separate rooms where they were given their own copies of itineraries. After five minutes someone came into Maria's room, letting her know that her day would be separate from House and Wilson's.

She gave the announcer and twinkling smile, knowing WHY House and Wilson's days were separate from hers.

As she lay through her massage she began to wonder how long House had had this planned. Whether it was a spur of the moment which meant that he used his threatening charm or whether he had had this planned for days, weeks possibly.

"Is the pressure too much? You're tensing up." Her masseuse asked.

"Oh, sorry. No, you're fine. I just blanked out." She answered with a blush.

The man gave a deep laugh, "Happens all the time."

By the end of the day, Maria's skin was softer than a fleece blanket and her muscles were so relaxed she feared they'd been turned into Jello.

House and Wilson met her in the lobby, both looking more relaxed and pain free than they had in days. She could tell that Wilson was trying his damndest not to cuddle up close to House like a lover in Italy and it warmed her heart to know.

"You too look happy," she commented with a wry smile.

"Oh we are," House responded, wiggling his eyebrows hintingly.

Maria and Wilson rolled their eyes. Both knew that there hadn't been enough time to do anything but they also both knew that it was likely they'd be doing something tonight.

"So, Monster Trucks?" Wilson asked seamlessly changing the subject.

"Yeah," House said as they headed towards the car.

* * *

><p>Five hours, four hot dogs, three beers, two waters and one mile later the small family made it to the car relatively unharmed. By his stiff posture, Maria would guess that Wilson's back was beginning to bother him but she let it slide.<p>

Thankfully it was only House who had been drinking otherwise trying to get both men to the car and into the loft after they'd had a few drinks wouldn't be fun.

Maria and Wilson got House into bed where he promptly passed out then crashed on the couch feeling too exhausted to go to bed. They turned on the TV, not caring what was on and spaced out.

The next thing either one was aware of, dawn sunlight shone through the windows nearly blinding them and House stood above them with two cups of coffee in his hands. "Good morning," he greeted with a smirk.

"Mmm," they replied, rubbing their eyes.

House almost laughed at how similar the two were but didn't. "How is it, I'm awake before you two? I'm the one who drank."

"And you're also the one who is used to drinking and didn't help drag your butt to bed." Maria answered before taking a sip of coffee.

"Excuses, excuses," House answered. He turned toward Wilson and poked him with his cane, "Where's breakfast?"

"Right where you left it. In the kitchen." Wilson answered with a wince. His head was pounding and his back ached from his position on the couch. "I'm going to take a shower."

House raised a sinful eyebrow, "I'll join you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I apologize for taking so long to update. I'm trying to alternate the chapters between fluff and serious. I hope you all enjoy this short one. Please review and tell me what you think. <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Warning, this chapter has slash-foreplay in it. If you don't like it, skip the first portion. It's not overly graphic. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

Wilson stepped into the shower, reveling in the feel of the hot stream massaging his aching neck muscles. He closed his eyes and just stood under the fountain of water, allowing himself to relax under the heat and silence.

Strong, calloused hands clamped down on his shoulders and began massaging. He jumped at the first touch but soon found himself giving in to the touch and letting it do its job.

The hands moved down from his shoulder muscles, tracing the contours of his shoulder muscles down to his arms and then his hands. Wilson never thought that a massage of his arms could produce pleasurable shivers but it did. The fact that he knew who was massaging him probably helped the reaction.

A stubby jaw brushed itself against his bare shoulder while the mouth suckled and nibbled on his exposed neck. Endorphins surged through him, sending shudders of pleasurable anticipation through him and making goosebumps appear on his flesh.

The hands moved from Wilson's arms to his side and down to his hips, massaging little circles in the porcelain skin and bringing his groin to life.

Teeth nibbled on his shoulder while the hands continued their erotic assault on his hips. A groan escaped through his mouth from deep within his throat and he felt House smile behind him while House's own groin came to life.

"You like that huh?" House asked gruffly. He spun Wilson around and brought their mouths together with bruising force.

Wilson responded easily, pressing his body roughly against House's. Thankfully House was flush with the wall so Wilson's force didn't knock him off balance.

Hands groped, mouths bit, nibbled and sucked and nails tore tiny bits of flesh, leaving scratch marks in their wake. The two men were at each other like animals about to mate, letting their instincts drive their actions.

House bit Wilson's shoulder hard, drawing blood, while Wilson rubbed his erection against House's. At that point Wilson decided it was time to withdraw so he pulled away, putting space in between him and House.

Blue eyes alight with fire of animalistic instinct and a sexual predator glared at him, almost scaring him. "Let's take this to the bedroom," House growled, shutting off the shower and grabbing their towels.

Carelessly, House tossed a towel to Wilson while he dried himself haphazardly off then wrapped the towel around his waist. He stood aside, waiting for Wilson to do the same then pushed the oncologist toward the bedroom all the while kissing him and groping him.

Wilson stumbled and winced when his back twisted but House ignored it in favor of pushing him onto the bed. He grabbed Wilson's shoulders and held tightly while he continued the assault of Wilson's flesh with his mouth making the open wounded bite marks sting and throb.

The bruising grip on his shoulders released only to take up residence on his hips. Wilson let out a groan of pain when House gave a particularly tight squeeze on the bruising flesh.

House immediately stilled. He wanted Wilson to groan but that groan made the hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. He pulled away, using Wilson's hips to steady himself then sat down on the bed next to his friend. "What's wrong?" He asked, his diagnostician eyes roaming over the naked body next to him.

He couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes when he saw the dried blood on Wilson's shoulder from the bite mark and the bruising which covered his friend's shoulders and hips. He'd done that.

"Just sore," Wilson answered knowing that House had already seen what was wrong.

House reached out a hand, lightly brushing over the bite mark, "I'm sorry," he apologized easily. He never knew how easy it would be to say those two words until now. "We should clean that out," he said, nodding his head towards Wilson's bitten shoulder.

He stood up, threw on a pair of faded jeans and a t-shirt then limped into the bathroom to grab the antiseptic and bandages. The bite wasn't too deep thankfully but the skin around it looked bruised and inflamed.

On his way back to the bedroom, he heard Maria yell a warning that lunch would be ready soon. It was then that he noticed the smell of eggs, potatoes and pancakes. She'd learned how to make House's favorite Macadamia Nut Pancakes from Wilson and was currently making those.

He limped back into the bedroom to find Wilson stiffly getting dressed. The bruising on his hips wasn't too bad thankfully but the ones on his shoulders were dark with a mixture of red, purple, blue and green. He could tell that the oncologist's back was bothering him for the stiff posture alone but every time he bent or twisted, Wilson would let out a grimace and his face would scrunch with pain.

"Did I hurt your back?" He asked as he limped over to Wilson's side and sat down, waiting for Wilson to do the same.

Wilson jumped in spite of himself and let out a groan when his back twinged. "I'll be okay," he answered, sitting down on the bed next to his friend.

"You didn't answer the question," House pointed out while he went to work cleaning Wilson's shoulder.

Wilson let out a hiss as the antiseptic bubbled and burned. "No you didn't."

"I didn't help either," House grumbled allowing his spare hand to snake to Wilson's back and begin massaging, adjusting his pressure according to Wilson's winces.

Wilson flinched as House's hand brushed against his shoulder, "Sorry," he apologized as rouge filled his cheeks.

"Gents, lunch!" Maria's voice called out cheerily.

"Come on," Wilson prompted, standing up and stiffly putting his shirt on.

House watched his friend walk out the door then collapsed onto the bed. He couldn't believe he'd hurt Wilson like that. Sure, he's hurt Wilson before but words don't leave bruises. Even when the bruises faded, House knew he'd still see the marks.

Wilson walked out into the kitchen to find Maria placing pancakes on three different plates which were already filled with eggs and hashbrowns. He didn't fail to notice that she was favoring her right arm though she was trying to hide it.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile as she grabbed all three plates, loading them up like a waitress.

"Here, let me help," Wilson offered when he saw her wince. He stepped forward and grabbed the plate which balanced precariously on her arm, giving a wince of his own when his bruised shoulder throbbed unhappily.

"Thanks," Maria said though her eyes squinted in study. "What's wrong? Is your back still bothering you?"

"It's fine," Wilson answered, hoping that she wouldn't notice he didn't answer the other question.

"Okay, so what's wrong?" Maria asked again, making sure that it was the only question for him to answer.

"Just sore," Wilson answered with an easy smile. He put the plate he'd been holding on to down and turned around to grab the pot of coffee and jug of orange juice. He jumped and hissed when a gentle hand closed over his bruised and bitten shoulder.

Maria drew her hand away like she'd been burned. Softly, she grabbed the collar of Wilson's t-shirt and tugged to get a look at his shoulder. Her mouth gaped open in surprise when she saw the deep bruising that covered the muscles. A lightly blood stained bandage covered the worse part of it and she had to do her best to refrain from pressing on the wound to see how bad the entire injury was.

House padded quietly into the kitchen in time to see Maria inspect Wilson's shoulder. He winced at the shock and concern in her expression. If she ever found out it had been him that had caused that, he'd be dead or at least starved. "Something smells good."

Both Maria and Wilson jumped at House's voice. Neither one had noticed that he had entered. Maria let go of Wilson's shirt and began placing napkins, silverware and the appropriate condiments on the table then grabbed glasses and coffee mugs in case someone wanted more coffee.

Throughout the meal Maria watched House and Wilson's interactions. She knew that House had caused the bruising but what she wanted to know was whether it was intentional or an accident. Whether Wilson was scared of House, mad at House or the same as usual.

She was pleased to see that House was more attentive to Wilson than normal. He went out of his way to keep Wilson from having to stretch his arms out to far which meant that he grabbed everything for Wilson and poured the orange juice and coffee then scooted everything as close to the man as he could. Though he didn't come right out and say it, everything House did screamed "I'm sorry!"

For his part, Wilson acted no differently towards House. He flinched a couple of times when House's hand would accidentally brush over the tender shoulder but each time House offered an apologetic and inquiring look. Only when Wilson gave a nod or a smile that he was okay would House resume what he was doing.

It warmed her heart to know that House actually did care about Wilson, probably more so than any other person. When she had first met the two she'd often wondered if House gave a crap about anyone else but himself.

Shortly after they'd adopted her, however, Wilson had hurt his back pretty badly and had broken his ankle after falling on the ice. House was a tyrant to all doctors when they examined Wilson, set his ankle and determined Wilson's back injury. He'd watched them like a hawk whenever they went near Wilson and if any one of them put the oncologist in more pain, House would snap at them, call them incompetent and then tell them to get out.

Once Wilson had been released from the hospital, early thanks to House's tormenting of the entire medical staff, he had followed Wilson into the apartment clucking away like a mother hen all the while ushering Wilson into bed where House made sure that almost every single pillow in the place was used to make the younger doctor comfortable.

If Wilson needed anything while lying in bed, House was there in an instant; most times when he didn't have to go to work, House stayed in the bedroom with Wilson to keep a watchful eye on him. If he saw any sort of pain register on his friend's face, House was up and grabbing ice, heating packs and pain meds.

Maria hadn't minded just how much time and energy House was devoting to his injured friend. She didn't really require constant company and it made her happy to know that Wilson was being taken care of.

She cared about the oncologist about as much as she did her own parents – not that she saw him as a father figure. She didn't like seeing him in pain so seeing him in debilitating pain made her heart cry.

Then again, she didn't think there wasn't a single person in PPTH that didn't care about Wilson. He was a likeable guy – caring, compassionate and easy to talk to. You knew that when you talked, he listened whereas any other person you were often left wondering if they really even cared about what you had to say.

Brunch finished quickly, each one of them having been famished when they'd started, and soon Maria began clearing the table. Wilson had begun to get up and help but both House and Maria threw him a glare, warning him to sit back down and relax.

Wilson had let out a heavy sigh of frustration. Though he hadn't said a word, Maria had heard what he'd wanted to say, "You guys are over reacting!" Both House and Maria just rolled their eyes in an expression that clearly said, "Get over it!"

After the dishes had been done and the kitchen cleaned up, House and Wilson retired to the couch so that House could catch up on his Tivo'd shows. They cuddled close with House being careful of Wilson's sore shoulders.

Maria wasn't really in the mood to watch TV so she went into her room and grabbed her purse, placing a book and her wallet in it. She walked out into the living room and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Wilson asked curiously.

"To the park," Maria answered, "I'm not really in the mood to watch TV."

She opened the door and walked out. Before the door closed she heard House ask, "What's wrong with kids these days? They'd rather go to the park than watch The OC."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Maria walked out into the cooling September air. She pulled her light sweater tightly around her petite frame and headed towards the seedier parts of Princeton. She threw one last glance behind her shoulder, checking to make sure that the apartment door was still firmly shut and the men inside still blissfully ignorant.

She felt bad for not telling House and Wilson the whole truth but she knew that Wilson would have a hissy fit if he knew what exactly she was up to. House probably wouldn't care but may want to come and she didn't really think that would go over well.

Turning the corner, she entered an expansive park. Trees, grass and a small path trailed through out it. Under the trees and on sparce patches of grass bathed in sunlight lay little black lumps which, at a distance, could be seen as patches of dirt but the closer you got the more you realized that they were people, homeless and abandoned.

Quietly she began searching each figure unobtrusively. A small smile escaped her lips as she spotted the one person she was there to see.

* * *

><p>Fall came and went and life in the little apartment passed quietly. The inscription on Maria's arm scabbed over then began to scar, pink and bright. She grew nervous about the secret she'd been keeping from her friends but she didn't want to tell them either.<p>

The December wind whipped around her, swirling up flakes of snow into intricately beautiful patterns. Her face ached with the cold but she didn't pay attention to it, knowing full well that there were people worse off than her.

Her sneakers slid precariously on top of ice covered sidewalks. After she recovered from a near fall her mind turned towards House. The cold made his leg hurt worse and the ice only helped make it more possible for him to fall.

The idea of House falling on the dangerous cement worried both Maria and Wilson immensely so Wilson was usually the one to keep a watchful eye on the crippled doctor while they were out. When they got home, Maria took over, allowing both men to relax into the couch while she would make dinner and clean up.

She put her key into the door to the apartment, relishing the comfortable heat the greeted her when she entered.

Cautiously, she walked into the eerily silent apartment. She didn't want to bother any potential… anything that could be going on behind closed doors. A sigh of relief escaped through her parted lips when she checked out the window and saw Wilson's silver Volvo pull up to the curb.

She watched with her heart skipping a beat as House stepped onto the sidewalk, slipping when he placed weight on his right leg. She wanted nothing more than to walk out there and help him inside but she knew that her help would be brushed aside with the ease of Superman swatting a fly out of the air.

House slipped again and would have fallen if not for Wilson. The oncologist moved swiftly to his friend's side, catching him before his battered body made friends with the pavement. Unfortunately, while the action saved House, it caused Wilson to go off balance. His foot hid a patch of slick ice, twisting his knee as he went down.

Immediately, Maria went outside. She walked past House who stood on the sidewalk, hesitantly trying to bend down to get to his friend.

When she got to Wilson he was already trying to get up. She reached him in time to stop him from hitting the pavement again which would no doubt make his injuries worse.

"Thanks," Wilson said while a pained grimace crossed his features.

Maria merely offered a smile. There was no need to answer. She slipped an arm around Wilson's side. She tried to allow him to lean into her so he could avoid putting too much weight on his leg but given that Wilson was 7 inches taller than her, it was hard.

House watched as the pair made their painstakingly slow way into the apartment. He cursed his useless body for not being able to help Wilson. If it wasn't for his damned leg, Wilson wouldn't even be in the position where he needed help.

He followed carefully, allowing the guilt in his gut to ease as he watched Wilson limp none too heavily into the apartment and to the couch where Maria helped ease him down. She walked into the kitchen then grabbed a bag of frozen vegetables and a towel while House limped over to the couch and sat down on the coffee table opposite Wilson.

Carefully, House grabbed Wilson's left leg, laying the calf on top of his knee. He studied Wilson to determine just how much pain the man was in. He knew that if he asked, Wilson would never answer honestly.

There were lines of pain surrounding the oncologist's eyes and mouth but they weren't too deep. Pain filled his brown eyes but there was still room for a smile of reassurance which Wilson was currently trying to give.

Skillfully, House's hands examined Wilson's swollen knee. Wilson winced with House's touch though it was truly extremely gentle. When House slowly bent the knew, Wilson couldn't stop hiss that escaped.

"Sorry," House whispered while he kept his concentration on the injured joint. He inhaled sharply while he lowered the leg back down to the floor. "Well, good news is it's a sprain but not a bad one. The bad news, for you, is that you'll be on crutches for a week."

Wilson groaned a groan that had nothing to do with the hot, throbbing pain that settled itself into his knee. While it was only for a week, maybe less if he could tolerate limping around, crutches would make doing his job incredibly more difficult.

He knew from experience (thanks to a broken ankle and ice) that doing his patient rounds while on crutches was not only tiring but a pain in the ass.

"Come on," House said interrupting Wilson's depressed musings, "Let's get you to bed."

Wilson raised an inquisitive eyebrow, his chocolate irises heating with arousal. He offered his hand to House who stood and grabbed it. Instinctively, Wilson put weight on both of his feet only to gasp and withdraw his left leg immediately.

House rolled his eyes then handed Wilson his cane. "Bed, let's go." He ordered as he grabbed the ice pack from Maria.

"I'll make some dinner and bring it in," she said softly. House and Wilson gave each other a look. "Unless I should wait?"

"No it's fine." Wilson answered making House frown in disappointment. "Dinner first then other stuff."

Maria gave a light chuckle but retreated to the kitchen to begin whipping up some simple pasta.

House herded Wilson into the bedroom and onto the bed. He helped Wilson change into shorts then grabbed a t-shirt while Wilson maneuvered himself onto the bed. He grimaced when pain shot through his leg, setting it on fire.

Placing the frozen veggies on Wilson's swollen knee, House handed him the t-shirt he'd picked out.

While Wilson changed into the new shirt, House pulled the ACE bandage out from Wilson's bedside table. Wilson badly injured his wrist back in college and to this day it still bothered him - mostly when it got really cold out (like it has been the past six weeks). He kept the ACE bandage around for the days when the wrist really hurt, using it to provide a little bit of support when needed.

With the practiced ease of a doctor (who hasn't had to do an ER rotation for 10 years), House wrapped Wilson's knee. Wilson managed to keep any outward signs of pain to a minimum. The pain wasn't that bad thank God but it did hurt.

"How's it feel?" House asked once he was finished. He grabbed one of the extra pillows from the head of the bed and gently laid it under the newly wrapped knee.

"It feels good," Wilson answered with a relaxed smile.

"Great! So you're ready to for a three mile run?" House asked slyly.

Wilson just chuckled and House felt a warmth spread throughout him that had nothing to do with the heat being pumped through the vents, "Well maybe not that good but it feels better." Wilson inhaled deeply through his nose and released the breath on a sighed exhale. "Smell's like dinner's ready."

"Yes it is and you're going to be staying in bed and eating it." Maria answered before House had a chance to open his mouth.

Wilson gave Maria a petulant glare, "I don't need to stay in bed Maria. I'm fine."

"Well I think that's up to your doctor," Maria answered with a twinkle in her eyes.

House smirked, "And as your attending physician, I agree with the chef. You'll be staying in bed tonight." He leaned in the more his sentence went on and his voice grew thick with arousal.

Maria blushed when Wilson's cheeks grew red and the chocolate melted in his eyes then heated to honey. She placed the two bowls of pasta on the dresser top then quietly snuck out. They obviously needed and wanted some alone time.

* * *

><p>Christmas, Hanukkah and News Years passed without incident. Wilson's knee healed quickly and Maria kept up her secret weekly adventures into the park.<p>

The beginnings of spring bloomed warm in March which, while unusual, was welcome to all in Princeton. As the days passed however, Maria could sense that something wasn't right between her and her caretakers.

She found out why one cool March evening. Before the sun had set she'd excused herself from the apartment to go to the park like she'd been doing every week for the past several months.

She walked over to the park comfortably in her jeans, spaghetti strap tank and over sweater. Her feet bore Sketcher boots which were perfect for the long walk to the park which often required good traction.

Spotting the man that she came to visit easily, Maria walked over to him. Cautiously she called out to him, "Hello."

The man startled then crouched low, ready to pounce. When he recognized who was there he relaxed back into his lying down position. He didn't respond to her greeting but gave a small nod, his familiar chocolate brown eyes tracking her every move suspiciously.

"How are you doing today?" She asked while she sat herself down near him.

"F-fine," the man replied stuttering erratically. He studied her for a moment with a question on the tip of his tongue. They remained quiet for a full five minutes before he decided to voice his question. "Why are you visiting me?"

Maria inhaled sharply. She'd expected this question to come but she'd secretly hoped he would never have asked. "I'm helping out a friend." She answered hoping he'd leave it be. No such luck.

"W-why would your f-f-friend care about m-m-me?" The man asked scoffing.

Before Maria could come up with an answer, Wilson's voice sang out clearly. The shock in it made her wince in sympathy. "Daniel?"

Surprised they were there, Maria stood up then flipped around so quickly that she nearly back fisted Wilson. "What are you guys doing here?" She hissed horrified.

"We followed you," House answered, his face an expressionless mask.

"Jimmy?" The man on the ground asked, rising to his full height. Maria was surprised to find that though he was homeless, Daniel Wilson was just as tall as his brother but he was more thickly built. Enraged and crazed brown eyes focused on her, "You know my brother?"

She visibly flinched at the accusation and anger in his voice. When she'd first met him, she'd intended to tell him that she knew Wilson but the more she'd gotten him to open up, the more she realized just how much of a mistake that would be. "Yes-"

"Y-you know my brother and you led him here?" Daniel stepped toward her threateningly.

Though every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, Maria held her ground. "I didn't mean for him to find you," she pleaded. Wilson spluttering behind her and House's growl let her know exactly what both men thought of that sentence. She winced at the hurt her words had no doubt caused but she had to shrug it off, there'd be time to explain later.

Before she could get another word out, Daniel pounced on her with the agility and force of a lion, knocking her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. She felt her rib cage creak then cry out in pain as his weight plowed into hers and landed heavily on her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice told her to fight back. She knew how to fight after all – she'd been taking many classes. But most of her mind screamed NO. If Daniel kept focused on her, he wouldn't turn his rage (which he had a lot of) on Wilson.

Just as Daniel pulled back to hit Maria, a hand caught his in midair and spun him off the girl. He turned dazedly on his heel to find himself faced with his brother. A fiery rage born out of resentment and annoyance filled his soul and all he could see was his brother on the ground bloody and beaten.

Daniel found that he liked that image immensely and set out to make sure it happened.

A fist struck his face followed by a pained hiss that made his lip curl in sardonic amusement. His brother had always been a wimp when it came to fighting – this would be easy.

He pulled his hand back poised to punch when a daintier hand held onto his and struck his side with more force than he would have attributed to the small girl. He swatted her easily, striking her on the cheek as he back handed her. She landed with a muffled groan a few feet away where he knew the root of a particularly big tree stood out.

Without further hesitation, Daniel struck his brother with bone-breaking force on the left cheek, snapping his head back to the right. He followed through with a hard left to the right side, taking pleasure in feeling a couple ribs snap.

He heard James cry out as his ribs broke and found that the cry only helped to fuel his attack. He pounced on his big brother with the force of an entire football team. James hit the ground like a rag doll, his right arm landing underneath him.

Knowing that the position had to have at the very least wrenched his brother's shoulder, Daniel supported himself using his legs to straddle his brother then pulled back and punched James' shoulder several times, drawing groans of pain with each blow.

Pain erupted in his lower back as a wooden cane landed hard across it, rendering him breathless and on the ground when he rolled off the pinned man beneath him. He watched through tear-filled eyes as the man with the cane pulled James across the ground away from him. "NO!" He screamed as he jumped up with slight difficulty and ran towards the disabled man.

The man raised his cane in front of him, brandishing it like the weapon it was but before Daniel even reached him, a pile of mud hit him on the side of the face, knocking him off balance.

The girl, Maria, came up to him and stood in front of both James and the crippled man protectively. He could see by her hunched posture that she had rib damage as well but he could see the fire in her eyes and knew he'd have to get through her first before he could reach his brother. He mentally shrugged, so be it!

He charged her with the speed and determination of a bull. He jumped at her but a millisecond after he'd jumped, she moved to the side and watched as he landed hard on the unforgiving spring ground below.

His right hand instinctively went out to cushion his fall and he cried out when he felt the delicate bones in his wrist snap forcefully. Delicate but non too gentle hands rolled him over on his back and he found himself staring into anger infused black eyes.

"You might want to stay down until the police come. I have no problem putting my heel into your wrist." Maria told him, her voice cold and hard with fury. To emphasize her point, she did just exactly that, drawing a pained shout.

"Stop!" Wilson called out to her. His voice gruff and his breath shallow with pain.

Immediately she stopped. She hadn't planned on doing it for long anyways and judging by the surrendering look in Daniel's eyes he got the message. She kept her foot balancing lightly on his stomach within easy reach of his broken wrist while she turned her head to look at House and Wilson.

Blue eyes of anger bore into her with the power of a jackhammer, tearing her stomach apart and her heart to shreds. If House hadn't been angry before the fight, he was furious now and it was all aimed at her. Because of her, Wilson had been hurt and potentially badly.

She allowed her gaze to drop down to Wilson who still lay on the dewy ground, partially supported by a tree. House had taken off his belt and used it to strap Wilson's right arm to his chest. Wilson panted heavily, obviously not daring to breathe too deeply – something her own lungs and ribcage could (and do) sympathize with. His left hand clenched the ground beneath it, telling her just how much pain the oncologist was in.

"How is he?" She asked House hesitantly.

"He'll live providing one of his broken ribs doesn't puncture his lung." House growled, keeping his touch feather light as he caressed Wilson's badly bruised cheekbone.

Sirens wailed as the police and ambulance approached the park. Thankfully they weren't that far from the road so the crews could see them easily.

EMT's rushed to the group and silently triaged the worse of the patients. They quickly but gently got Wilson onto the stretcher while another ambulance pulled up and turned its attention to Daniel.

House followed Wilson's stretcher as fast as he could. Rationally, he knew that with Wilson stable and stationary the chance of a rib puncturing a lung was minimal but the gnawing worry in his gut wouldn't abate.

He didn't object when Maria followed somewhat slowly behind and stiffly climbed into the ambulance with him. While he was furious with her for not telling them (or at least him) what she was doing and thus allowing Wilson to come to this kind of harm, he did care about her fiercely. A small part of his worrying heart released his worry for Wilson and found another target to worry about – Maria.

House had watched somewhat stunned as Daniel attacked Maria and Wilson intervened. He grew proud as Maria stepped in and attacked the younger Wilson, stopping him from decimating James. He'd winced when he heard a couple of her ribs snap when she'd landed.

It had taken him another few seconds to recognize that Daniel Wilson had a lot of fighting experience and would beat Wilson to death if he didn't intervene. So he'd stepped forward and swung his cane down as hard as he could (which was no little force) across the homeless man's back, making sure to land on the kidneys thus causing tremendous pain.

Without hesitating, House dragged Wilson away from his brother only to hear Daniel scream and start charging them. He stood over Wilson protectively, waiting for the younger man to come close enough for him to swing the cane again. He'd almost laughed when the mud had knocked Daniel off balance and to the ground.

Pride swelled within him even more when Maria, little five foot four Maria, had come in between Daniel and House (and essentially Wilson as well). Quickly she tossed House a look and through some form of understanding communication, House knew exactly what she'd planned.

Gingerly, he'd nudged Wilson further out of the way, placing him against a tree, so that when Daniel Wilson had charged then landed on the ground hard, Wilson was in no way harmed.

House had heard with no little sense of satisfaction as Daniel Wilson damn near screamed in pain when Maria had stepped on his broken wrist. It was then that he understood just how angry she was at him for hurting James.

Normally Maria wasn't one to cause pain. In general she was the one trying to soothe it. Though she wasn't overly friendly with humankind, she didn't like it when they were in pain. So the fact that she was willingly causing agony spoke volumes.

When she'd turned to look at him, despair, pleading and pain in her eyes he understood on some level that she had never wanted them to know. She'd wanted them to remain ignorant so that this particular situation wouldn't occur.

Despite all that, he found he couldn't forgive her so easily for causing his friend and lover so much pain.

Whipping his phone out of his pocket, House called Cuddy and alerted her that they were on their way to the ER and to have Chase there waiting for them to examine Wilson and Cameron examine Maria.

Cuddy had been stunned and confused but he knew that she'd heard the worry and concern in his voice and so readily did as she was told.

They arrived in the Ambulance Bay no later than two minutes later. The EMT's swiftly got Wilson out of the vehicle and rushed him into the ER where House could see Chase waiting impatiently to begin.

Cuddy helped House out of the ambulance and began walking with him to where Wilson had been rushed. He stopped mid-stride when he heart a pained gasp from behind him.

House spun around to find Maria trying to ease herself out of the ambulance. Impatiently, he walked back to the vehicle and held out his hand.

Tears welled in Maria's eyes at the gesture but she shook her head no and proceeded to stubbornly do it herself. She bit her lip to keep from making any sound of pain so hard that blood began to spill and tears fell down her cheeks. She drew a not so deep breath and tried her hardest not to cry. She deserved this pain.

House spared a glance in Wilson's direction to find that he was being wheeled away, more than likely to X-Ray and so patiently waited for Maria to catch up – studying her as he did so.

Maria limped her way to the entrance guarding her left side with her arm (and bruised wrist) and favoring her right leg. He knew for a fact that she had at least two broken ribs but he didn't know what other damage had been done. Dark bruises covered her face where her head had hit the ground or the occasional tree root.

They entered the ER together, House slowing his strides to accommodate hers. Cameron walked up to them, concern shining brightly in her eyes.

"Take her to exam room two and get her fixed up," House instructed.

"No, I'm fine." Maria objected hoarsely. She grimaced as pain flared hot and deep throughout her chest. Breathing was becoming harder but she didn't care. She wanted to know that Wilson was okay first.

"You are not fine, you can barely stand." House argued roughly.

"House, don't insult us and pretend that you care." She snapped, her voice having little malice in it.

House threw a glare at Cameron then tossed his cane towards her. Before Maria had a chance to try to determine why he was giving his cane away, House scooped her up in his arms, being surprisingly gentle yet remaining firm.

He limped over to the nearest examination area and gingerly placed her on the bed. "You will stay her and cooperate while Cameron examines you. I will inform you as soon as I hear anything about Wilson."

Before he left, House placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, letting her know that he still cared.

Cameron stood to one side watching the interaction with fascination. She'd never seen House so authoritative yet gentle with someone. It surprised her that he had allowed his emotions to be so open with Maria. Then a flash of pink on the young girl's arm caught her eye and told her exactly why. "Are you ready?" She asked not wanting to scare the girl by touching her.

Maria looked up with tears raining down her face and her chest heaving painfully. "Yeah."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I apologize for any and all mistakes in this chapter. It ran away from me and by the time I'd finished it, I was anxious to post it. Please review and tell me what you think. <strong>

***For those of you whom wish me to be nicer to Wilson, don't worry - lots of comfort is coming up for our favorite and adorable oncologist.  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

House walked out of the examination area that he'd left Maria in and went to look for Wilson. He ended up in the exam area that he'd last seen the oncologist in but said man wasn't back yet. Instead he'd found Chase who had apparently been waiting for him.

"Where is he?" House asked hoping to fake nonchalance.

"Radiology then he'll be admitted overnight for observation." Chase answered succinctly. Over 8 years of working with House had allowed him to understand that his boss didn't like fodder, especially when it came to Wilson being injured.

"Damage?" House asked with a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"A hairline fracture of the left cheek and left hand. His right wrist is badly sprained and his right shoulder had been dislocated. He has two broken ribs and several cracked ribs. His right knee had been dislocated, I'm assuming at the same time as his shoulder but it's hard to say. They've got him in radiology right now to determine if he'll need surgery to repair the damage done to his knee and to make sure that all of his other injuries are correct."

As he finished, Chase's phone beeped shrilly. The blond man picked it up with the training House had drilled into him and watched as the message flashed upon the screen. "They're done in radiology but Wilson will need surgery for his knee."

House gave a nod letting the intensivist know that he had heard him. They both knew that the surgery wouldn't be able to be performed right away – not until the swelling had gone down a bit, and so there wasn't any need for Chase to continue his sentence.

"House?" Cameron's soft, hesitant voice called.

House spun around to face her, giving her a look of great impatience.

Hesitant blue eyes turned steel grey with determination. "I've finished examining Maria. She's on her way to X-Ray right now. She'll be kept overnight for observation but she'll be fine." Cameron informed her former boss. "She has four broken ribs and almost every single one is badly bruised. There was no major damage done from the blows to her face or back, just bruising."

"Put her in the same room as Wilson." House instructed, not bothering to correct her that there had been no blows to Maria's back. He knew the bruising was from when she'd landed on the ground but that wasn't important at the moment.

Knowing it was futile to argue that neither one of them controlled those things, both Cameron and Chase nodded then walked away, leaving House to walk to his office on his own.

* * *

><p>House's eyes fluttered open with startled quickness. The Mexican Hat Dance on his phone trilling loudly announcing someone calling him. Groggily he picked up his and checked the caller ID. "Yeah?" He asked when he answered his phone.<p>

"Wilson and Maria are both settled in their room," Chase answered.

Something in Chase's voice caught House's attention. "I'm guessing one of them isn't so settled," he led then patiently waited for Chase's agitated sigh which shortly followed.

"We were having trouble keeping Maria in bed so we gave her a low dose of Ativan."

House smiled at the annoyed tone in Chase's tone. He could just imagine the blond standing in the hall with his head down, the dirty yellow hair flopping thickly over his forehead, with his spare hand on his hip.

He knew Maria would be stubborn enough to try to sit by Wilson's bedside instead of staying in bed where she belonged. The Ativan shot didn't surprise him any more than her stubbornness.

"And you need me there to hold her hand?" House sniped.

"No," Chase answered allowing his own agitation to creep into his voice, making his accent thicker, "Wilson is awake. Just thought you'd want to know."

With that, Chase hung up. He wasn't in the mood to listen to House's sniping or snarking today. He was standing by the nurse's desk with his arms across his chest, waiting for House when he arrived.

He gave a smirk when he looked at the time and noticed that House had made down to Wilson's room in less than two minutes, which for a crippled man, was damn fast. Unbelievably, the man really did care about, and dare he say love, Wilson.

House threw Chase a look that clearly said _Shut up _then walked into the room, sliding the door open and closing it behind him.

Maria lay in bed, sound asleep thanks to the drugs in her system. He limped quietly over to make sure she was doing okay before he made his way over to Wilson's bed.

Wilson lay semi-upright, supported my mounds of pillows, taking the pressure off his injured ribs. His left hand was lightly wrapped and laying on his stomach. The right hand lay propped on a pillow and heavily bandaged. His left knee was splinted and raised on three pillows.

The injured oncologist painfully turned his head to the left where House stood staring. "Hey," he croaked with a wince. His throat was beyond dry and it hurt to talk.

Unable to see the man he loves in any form of pain, House poured Wilson a cup of room temperature water, placed a straw in it and held it up to his mouth.

Wilson gingerly turned his head straight then drank greedily from the cup, relishing in the feel of the smooth liquid trickling down his throat, re-hydrating it.

After he set the cup back down, House grabbed Wilson's chart and scanned it. Chase had apparently left out an injury. Wilson had a mild but still painful case of whiplash which he guessed happened when Daniel had punched him. It didn't surprise him. He thought he'd heard Wilson's neck snap with the force alone.

"Are you okay?" Wilson asked once House had sat back down.

House rolled his eyes, "You're the one in the hospital and needing surgery and you're asking me if I'm okay?"

Wilson offered a pained smile, "What can I say? I care."

Unable to stop the laugh that bubbled to the surface, House lightly caressed Wilson's right cheek, careful to avoid the fractured left cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Wilson answered with a sigh, "I'd be better at home."

"Nope, sorry. You're both stuck here over night to make sure you don't have brain damage." House settled back into his chair, placing his feet on the end of Wilson's bed while avoiding contact with the left leg.

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine. I had to force her to get examined then they had to drug her to keep her in bed."

"Why?" Wilson shifted painfully in bed to get a better look at Maria.

"Stay still," House growled warningly. "I already told you she's fine. She wanted to make sure you were okay but her broken ribs weren't having it."

"Broken ribs?" Wilson asked, concern and alarm coloring his tone.

"You're brother packs quite a wallop."

Wilson grimaced, "Don't remind me." Whether the grimace was from pain or the memory House didn't know; he suspected it was from both. "Any other injuries?"

House shook his head in the negative, "Just the broken and bruised ribs and multiple bruising over her back and face."

Wilson nodded sadly. He felt bad that Maria had been injured because of his brother but he knew there was nothing that could have been done to stop him.

Pain seared through his body drawing him out of his thoughts with a pained groan. He turned his head away from House in an effort to disguise the grimace that covered his face though he knew it was futile.

House lowered his feet and stood up to check Wilson's chart once again. He looked at the clock and rolled his eyes. "Bloody incompetent nurses," he cursed as he limped over to the med cart, unlocked it and pulled out Wilson's next dose of meds which were almost an hour late.

Ice flowed through Wilson's veins, calming the fire to a dull, tolerable throb. The tension in his muscles melted like chocolate in a fondue pot and he quickly relaxed into the bed once again.

He looked over to find House still standing within easy reach of the med cart, concern and anxiety in his bright blue eyes. "Thanks," he said, relief warming his voice to thick molasses.

House offered a nod and waited for the heart monitor to slow down before he resumed his position by Wilson's bed. He checked to make sure that Maria was still out before he once again placed his feet on the bed and slouched in the chair.

He grabbed Wilson's left hand gently in his, merely placing it on top of his palm. He noticed with a small amount of guilt as Wilson's face scrunched slightly with pain at the action. When he moved to let go, Wilson's hand closed loosely around his stilling his movements.

"How bad?" He asked his friend.

"I'm fine," Wilson answered with a sigh. In truth he wasn't; his head throbbed dully, his side burned, his knee and wrist throbbed deeply and the hand that House was currently holding ached sharply.

"No you're not. How bad?" House asked, running soft fingers over Wilson's arm.

Realizing that House wasn't going to back down, Wilson decided to just answer the question honestly, "About a 7 before the meds and a 2 after."

House nodded, not pleased with the answer. It took a lot for pain to register with Wilson's mind so the fact that, at worst, Wilson's at a 7 speaks volumes to him. "What still hurts? Do you want more meds? I think I've got some Vicodin here."

Wilson smiled appreciatively, "I'm okay for right now. Everything hurts but it's nothing I can't deal with." When House once again moved to take his hand away Wilson squeezed it again this time much tighter, giving a hiss and groan when it aggravated his injured hand. "Don't," he growled, his voice low with the effort to control the pain racing through his body like thoroughbred horses, "I like it there. Even if I can't do more than just lay on top."

"Isn't that all you do anyways?" House asked, quirking his eyebrow.

Wilson laughed involuntarily, groaning when his side protested.

"Wilson?" Maria's voice called. Her heart monitor began to speed up slowly but surely and House went over to her bed as quickly as he could. She was already easing herself up by the time he got there.

"Lay back down, you aren't going anywhere. Wilson's fine." House admonished, gently pushing her back down. It took more force than he'd like and just as she started to lower herself down, he began to wonder if he should just press on one of her many bruised ribs.

"Just help me sit up," she commanded with a heavy, frustrated sigh.

Realizing it was the only way House was going to get her to stay in bed, he complied. He helped reorganize pillows so that her rib cage was supported as well as her back and head.

She turned her head to look at her friend who lay in the bed to the right of hers. Concerned, anxious and sad honey eyes met pained, tired ones. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Wilson answered with a dismissive wave. He tried to hide the wince the action produced but being surrounded by the two people who knew him the best, it was futile.

"You're in pain," Maria countered. Pain laced throughout her chest making it hard to draw in breath.

"Yeah, that happens when you have broken ribs, a hairline fracture of the hand, badly sprained wrist, and a recently dislocated shoulder and knee which requires surgery to fix." House snapped before his mind reminded him that he wasn't actually that mad at his charge.

Horror widened Maria's eyes to the size of black golf balls. She hadn't realized just how badly Wilson had been injured. "I am so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt."

Before Wilson had a chance to do what he does best and sooth and placate her, House spoke for him, "Then maybe you shouldn't have snuck out so that we'd have to follow you."

Maria collapsed into the bed, resigned to his hatred and anger, both of which were justified. "I didn't want either of you involved." She whispered while fiddling with the blanket threads.

"You were talking to my brother," Wilson interjected angrily, "why shouldn't I be involved?" He attempted to sit up but couldn't manage it without help. House, who had stepped away from Maria's bed and had gone back over to Wilson's, standing in next to him almost possessively, helped raise the head of the bed slowly.

Maria waited until Wilson was settled and as comfortable as he could get before she answered his question. "I had had every intention of bringing you into this but the more I spoke to him and got him to speak to me, I could tell that that would be a bad thing." She paused to take in a deep breath but gasped, groaned and wheezed with the effort. She began again, taking shorter, panting breaths. "Any time he spoke about his brother there was a fury there that spoke of the amount of harm he wanted to cause and I didn't want that to happen," she drew in another wheezing breath, "not to you."

"So you lied and it happened anyways," House concluded, his anger still present but concern creeping in as well. Her breathing was becoming more and more labored which worried him immensely. Sure, she'd had four broken ribs but none of them had had a chance to puncture a lung until they'd been set and bound.

"I didn't lie," she defended angrily. "I told you every time you asked where I was going." Pain shot through her side and her chest squeezed threateningly as she attempted to draw in a deeper breath. She curled her hand around her side and did her best to hold her breath to calm her breathing.

Unbeknownst to her two friends and guardians, she was actually used to having trouble breathing. It was a common occurrence.

"You should have told us so that we wouldn't worry about you." House lectured.

Maria laughed tightly causing her to wheeze even more and cough painfully.

Both House and Wilson waited patiently for Maria's coughing to cease and her breathing to return to normal but after a few minutes neither one happened.

House limped over and held his stethoscope to her lungs, listening to her breath sounds on each side. After listening for thirty seconds, he pressed the nurse button on the bed.

"House, what's going on?" Wilson asked in alarm noting how serious his friend had become.

The nurse entered the room in a light jog, looking between the three occupants to discern what was wrong.

"I need a nebulizer and kit now," House snapped at the awaiting nurse. She ran out of the room to grab the requested items while he grabbed the oxygen mask and turned on the fresh O2. He placed the mask over Maria's mouth and held it there while he instructed her to try and slow her breathing and take deep breaths.

"House, what's wrong?" Wilson asked louder this time while he attempted to shift so he could see what was happening. Pain lanced through every part of his body hot and bright.

"Stay still," House instructed sharply while he continued to hold onto the mask. "She's not getting air to 50% of both of her lungs." He summarized. "I think she's having an asthma attack."

"She doesn't have asthma," Wilson countered arguably.

The nurse re-entered holding the needed nebulizer and began setting it up. By the time she'd finished, House had switched the oxygen mask out for the breathing apparatus attached to the nebulizer.

House waited patiently for the steroids to take effect before he went back over to Wilson's bed and sat down in a chair next to it. "Why didn't you tell us you had asthma?"

"House," Wilson objected but Maria answered after she pulled the breathing tube out of her mouth.

"Because..it…wasn't…important…" She answered panting heavily. She drew in as deep a breath of the medicine as she could before she continued. "I've…had…it….since…I…was…in…third….grade," she paused for another breath, "I…know…how..to…control…it…and…didn't….need…to…bother….you…"

She placed the breathing tube back in her mouth and continued to draw the medication into her lungs. The combination of pain, panting and breathing caught up with her and she collapsed back into the bed in exhaustion.

"It's not a bother," Wilson assured gently.

Maria opened her heavy eyes and looked at him, "Yes it is."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

House sat in his office, bouncing his La Crosse ball off the dividing wall thinking about his latest patient. She had just started bleeding out of her eyes and if he didn't come up with an answer soon, she would probably die.

The setting June sun shone through the blinds, lining the recliner in the corner and adding an amber hue to the carpet. It had been annoyingly hot the past few days and he was happy to be in the air conditioned office.

It had been three months since the incident in the park. Maria had healed fully and had been grounded for six months because of what she'd done so other than to go to school (which had ended two weeks ago) she wasn't allowed to go anywhere without them.

Wilson had had the surgery done to repair his knee two weeks after the incident. It had taken that long for the swelling to go down and for them to get him in. His hand, cheek, ribs and shoulder healed well and quickly.

His wrist had healed well but it had taken a couple of months. It had only started hurting him when he started using the crutches and both Wilson and his wrist were extremely glad when he was allowed to start walking sans crutches.

Tom Jones' "She's a Lady" rang from his pocket and House picked up his phone, smiling briefly when Wilson's picture showed on the screen. "Hey," he answered.

"Hey, you're busy." A statement, not a question.

"Yeah, got a patient to save. Maybe I'll actually get a Thank You card this time!" House answered sarcastically.

Wilson let out a breathy chuckle, "You probably would if you actually talked to the patient nicely."

"I'm always nice. It's Cameron who's the mean one." House replied faking innocence. "How are you feeling?" Since he was alone he didn't mind showing that he actually cared.

"Fine," Wilson answered with a sigh, "I was actually just calling to remind you that Maria is meeting us here for dinner."

"We're eating dinner here? Gosh that sounds gross." House answered, his upper lip curling in disgust.

"You know what I meant. She's meeting us here so we can go to dinner." House heard a knock on Wilson's door and a stifled groan as Wilson got up to answer it, "I gotta go, Holly's here to go over tomorrow's schedule."

House inwardly shivered at the name Holly, it made him imagine a hooker which was not someone he was comfortable Wilson meeting with. Just when he was about to say so, his own office door opened admitting an anxious Cameron, "House? We need you."

"Fine. It seems I must go too. I'll see you later." House replied before hanging up and following Cameron to a random room.

* * *

><p>Maria walked into PPTH cautiously. She didn't want to be noticed by anyone else and she REALLY didn't feel like trying to start a conversation with anyone.<p>

While being grounded wasn't really much of a punishment, it had been to her. Not because she had been forced not to mingle with her friends or because she couldn't go to the prom (not hers) with a boy who had asked her. No, she'd been grateful to have time to help take care of Wilson while he healed.

Helping however had been a double edged sword. On the one side she was able to keep Wilson relatively still and in better spirits but on the other she was reminded daily of the damage she had done and the pain she had caused to her friend – she stood precariously on the tip, balancing on the point like a ballerina.

She made it discreetly to House's office without trouble and walked into the vacant conference room. Uneven footsteps next door told her that House was actually in his office and was joining her.

Her heart ached silently when she saw just how tired he looked but she kept any heartache from her face. "Hey," she greeted cheerily, "how's it going?"

"It's going good. My patient about died but I saved her with my brilliant diagnosis of Munchausen's and sent her up to the psych ward. Another life worthy of saving." He replied, sarcasm dripping off his words like water off a wet rag.

Maria chuckled warmly, "Well, I'm glad that you had a good day. How's Wilson doing?"

House gave her a wry smile, "You ask that every day, are you expecting a different answer today?"

"I'm hoping, yeah." She answered back, unfazed by his direct tone.

"What are you hoping for?" Wilson asked confused as he limped into the room.

Maria's honey eyes turned sad at the sight of her friend's limp, which was more pronounced than normal – he must have had a long day on the leg. "Nothing," she answered throwing House a significant look.

House chuckled lightly at her look but kept his mouth shut. "So where is this dinner that we're going to?"

"Uh, how about Roman's?" Wilson asked suggestively. He hoped he was hiding just how much his knee was hurting but given how closely both his companions were watching him he guessed not.

"Okay," House said after giving a small nod. They both looked at Maria who gave a small nod of assent then hung her head and waited for them to leave the way.

Both men wanted to tell her that she wasn't in prison or enslaved and so she didn't have to act like she was but they also wanted to make sure that she understood how angry they (mostly House) are about what happened with Danny.

Wilson, having spent a lot more time with her over the past few months than House had, already knew that she understood what she did was wrong and that she felt horrible.

It was in the way she would lightly touch him, like she was afraid of hurting him more. It was in how attentive she was when he was stuck at home and how bashful she'd become when around him. She'd begun acting like she had when she'd first stayed with them – wary, nervous, unassuming, and ready to run away if needed. He didn't like it.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" He asked her half hoping she'd say yes or suggest another destination.

Maria gave a sweet smile, "No, Roman's sounds great. Let's go."

House rolled his eyes, perfectly aware of what Wilson was trying to do and knowing full well that it wouldn't work. He'd talk to her later and see what's going on. He didn't think being grounded for six months was enough of a punishment to procure this kind of reaction. "Perfect! Let's go."

"I need to grab my briefcase. I heard your voices and came over without it." Wilson answered in a mumble and with a slight blush.

"Aww, was little Wilson excited to see us?" House teased moving forward to pinch Wilson's cheeks.

Wilson took a step backwards toward the door and batted House's hand away, a wince in his eyes. He didn't deign to make a reply as he limped out of the office and towards his own. He looked forward to going home.

* * *

><p>House limped into the apartment first, plopping heavily down onto the couch while he waited for Maria and Wilson to join. Dinner had been simple, good and filling and now House wanted to do nothing but sit and watch TV.<p>

Wilson followed shortly after House with Maria trailing quietly after him. She waited until they both settled on the couch before asking, "Do you guys need anything? I think I'm going to head to bed."

"No, I think I'm going to head to bed." Wilson said tiredly. He wasn't all that tired but he'd seen the look House had given him and knew the diagnostician wanted to be alone with the girl. He could wait for House in the bedroom to find out why.

Maria's brow wrinkled in concern but she refrained from asking the question that was on the tip of her tongue. She knew that he was tired of hearing it. Instead she said, "Get some rest."

House waited until Wilson was in the bedroom before he spoke. "Sit down."

Confused, Maria did as she was told but at so far a distance that House didn't think he could touch her if he extended his cane out towards her. "What's wrong?" He asked when she had settled down.

"Nothing," she replied fakely.

"Maria," House growled in warning, reminding her of not only what they'd discussed when she had first moved in but of their conversation when they'd all come home from the hospital.

"It's nothing for you to worry about." She amended sternly.

House heard the implied "you don't care" in her tone and felt his eyes grow hard. "Well I'm worried so why don't you talk to me about it anyways?"

Maria stayed quiet for a while, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. She seriously doubted that House was worried about her, it was more than likely probably Wilson, but she also knew that he wasn't going to let go of the subject either.

"Nothing's wrong, really," she began, offering an assuring smile, "I just, I shouldn't be here. That's all."

"So run away." House suggested lightly though he felt anything but light. When Maria didn't respond right away, he narrowed his eyes on her. "You're going to aren't you?"

"Not exactly, no. A friend of mine has offered to let me stay with her for the summer and I thought it best if I went. You guys don't need me here any longer now that Wilson's doing better and more mobile. I'm just in the way." At first Maria couldn't meet House's glare but the more she talked the easier she found it to look at him, hoping to give him a reassuring look.

"When were you going to tell us?" House challenged thickly.

Maria averted her gaze, "I was going to leave you a note that you'd find when you got home."

House laughed bitterly, "So you weren't going to tell us, you were going to leave like a coward."

"Yes," Maria admitted, bowing her head to hide the tears that trickled down her face at his words.

House nodded for a few seconds before replying, "Fine. Go. Why wait until tomorrow?"

Tears flowed freely from Maria's eyes. While she'd tried to tell herself that she meant nothing, secretly she'd hoped that she meant something to the two men who had adopted her. She'd just received her answer. "If you wish." She got up and headed for her bedroom.

Before she arrived to the door, gentle hands stopped her mid-stride and spun her into the wall – sternly preventing her from moving.

Shocked she looked into soft brown eyes full of unshed tears and anger. She turned her head to find House holding her to the wall, anger in his own blue eyes. "I-I don't understand," she admitted in a choked voice.

"Wilson woke up and wanted to try to start a dogpile against the wall," House answered sarcastically, his firm grip not releasing her.

"House!" Wilson scolded harshly.

Maria laughed in spite of herself, tears flowing lightly down her cheeks. "A dogpile isn't that comfortable on the floor let alone against the wall." She gave a small glance at both men before continuing, "Besides, I think I'm the only one pinned."

"Had to make sure you didn't get any further." Wilson responded, trying and failing to sound light.

Maria gave a sad smile, "Why? You don't need me here." _And you don't want me here _she finished in her mind.

"We have never needed you here," House replied before Wilson could respond. The slight trickle of tears became a flowing river down Maria's cheeks but she merely bowed her head and nodded in understanding. House freed his right hand and used it to tilt her head up so she was looking at both he and Wilson. "We wanted you here."

"You weren't here to serve any purpose or do any chore," Wilson added finally realizing why she was being unassuming. "You never had to earn your keep."

"Yes I do," Maria admitted with a one-shouldered shrug. "I always have. When you noticed that I wasn't doing my fair share around the house, you followed me to the park and," she threw a more significant look to Wilson, "got hurt."

"We didn't notice that you hadn't been doing "your fair share", which by the way is more than enough. We noticed that you'd been intentionally vague about your weekly visits and thought something was wrong." Wilson answered, leaving the end of his sentence sounding open. He waited until Maria looked at him with confusion and hope in her eyes before he continued, "We were worried about you."

"Why? I'm not worth it." She admitted wearily.

"We think you are," Wilson answered with a soft smile.

"And as you know, I'm never wrong." House interjected haughtily.

Both Maria and Wilson offered House a skeptical glance before all of them broke into laughter.

Wilson stepped back to give everyone space and gave an involuntary hiss when pain speared through his knee and down his calf. Quickly he withdrew his foot and bent his knee, keeping weight off his leg.

House let go of Maria and immediately grabbed Wilson, stopping him from toppling over.

Quickly Maria grabbed Wilson's other arm asking, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Wilson assured while he tried to put as little weight on his leg as possible.

"You should be in bed," Maria said quietly.

"Wilson doesn't like to be excluded from a party," House answered for his lover, easily seeing the regret and doubt in Maria's eyes. He turned his attention to Wilson, "Why aren't you wearing your brace?"

Wilson blushed but didn't answer. House nodded understanding that Wilson didn't want to say anything in front of Maria since it would probably make her feel guilty. "I think it's time for us all to go to bed," Wilson said instead.

"You're right, you should. Go get some rest." Maria said nodding her head towards their bedroom.

"I said WE should," Wilson reiterated, "that means you too young lady and NO leaving for the summer – unless you really want to."

Maria gave a small smile, "No, I just didn't want to impose myself upon you guys."

"'Impose myself upon you guys'," House mocked, "You've been reading too much Jane Austen."

Maria gave a look of mock shock, her mouth open aghast. "No such thing!" She answered sounding scandalized. "Go get some rest, you both need it."

Wilson shook House's hand off his arm and pulled her into an awkward, precariously balanced hug. "This is your home, don't forget that." He whispered into her ear before he pulled away and leaned into House.

House started leading Wilson to the bedroom but before they got more than a couple he turned his head to look over his shoulder and called out, "What he said!"

They each went to their room with a smile on their face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I haven't decided if I'm finished with this story or not. Originally I was going to add more but I think this chapter ends the story quite well. What do you all think? <strong>


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